We are not ashamed to say that we had the Knicks projected at 10-24 at this point, and that we had major problems with the construction of the roster. The David Lee trade? Awful. To get back perpetual dog house resident Anthony Randolph as the centerpiece of a deal in which you trade a 20/10 guy, and to also recieve Kelenna Azabuike–yet to play and who may not recover from a serious knee injury in time to ever play for the team–is akin to letting Lee walk for nothing. Well, at least we got back scary looking Ronny Turiaf, who has had a positive effect in his minutes, and who becomes a downright essential cog for the thin Knicks in the absence of Gallinari.

What about our good friends Roger Mason and Timofey Mozgov, 2 players the Knicks alotted cap space to, who, well, suck it hard? Between Randolph, Azabuike, Mozgov, and Mason, the Knicks have tied up 1/3 of their roster with totally unusable players. Not to mention Eddy Curry.

Shawne Williams? We like him fine and think the former first rounder and journeyman deftly rescued himself from the scrap heap by shooting the lights out in limited action, and continued to shock us in a rousing win versus the Spurs by making plays with his back to the basket. Very nice. But let’s be real. He wasn’t brought here to or expected to contribute.

Are we upset that first Shannon Brown and then the absolutely awful Roger Mason were pretty much guaranteed starters’ minutes by D’antoni at the virtual expense of Wilson Chandler, who just kept his head down and played hard? Yes. In looking at this woeful roster, we clearly identified Chandler as 1 of the 4 guys with actual basketball talent on this team (along with Stoudemire, Felton, and Douglass). Since then, we’ve upgraded our assessment. This team has 5 players with basketball talent (all credit goes to the surprisingly gifted hard work guy from Stanford, Landry Fields, currently leading all guards in rebounding). Chandler, the 2nd or 3rd best, has thoroughly impressed us and we’re not surprised at all. Tuesday night, W.C. had 31 pts. on 13/19 from the field, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists, and was too much for Richard Jefferson to handle. The fact is, on most nights and even against some very good teams, a few players can carry the multitude of bad ones. The Knicks also channeled that Garden energy left up in the rafters from the previous night’s incredible St. John’s victory.

The NBA is a star driven league, and Amar’e is playing like an MVP calibre, 1st team All NBA guy. Raymond Felton is playing the best ball of his career (17 pts, 7 assts per), and out-played Spurs star Tony Parker most recently (28/7 vs. 26/6) in the Knicks’ banner win at MSG. Chandler, who proved early on he could not be driven from the lineup, has been so good that Donnie Wheelchair has now vowed to re-sign him, even with the player in line for perhaps a $ 60M contract.

The Knicks big 3 of Stoudemire, Chandler, and Felton is proving so good that they can carry the team, even against some top squads. Even in the absence of Gallinari, who we think sucks anyway. Face it. How many teams have a triumvirate that it out producing the Knicks’ big 3? As we see it, it’s something only elite teams can say.

We also see a silver lining with Gallinari’s injury. While we are totally unimpressed with Italy’s finest, and while we especially pan his supposed strength–his perimeter game–he does seem to be developing a better repertoire as a guy who can put it on the floor and get to the rim. For all his faults, he’s a young guy, at 6’10, playing major minutes on a winning team. Denver, who seems intent on getting back 1-2 players and picks for Carmelo, might be willing to take Landry Fields, as well as the young talent and picks that a Gallinari and an Anthony Randolph could bring back, since we’re hearing the Nuggets aren’t big on either. For now, we’ll kindly hold off on the bust tag for these guys.

As for the immediate future, Amar’e returns to Phoenix Friday night. We look for our captain to be extra motivated against his old squad.

While the Knicks’ pursuit of Lakers guard Shannon Brown, whom New York envisioned a big role for, and who some in Knicks’ circles were excited about the possibility that Brown would win significant playing time from incumbent Wilson Chandler, ended with Brown taking a multi-year deal to stay in Los Angeles–a no brainer for the player–the Knicks perhaps found a better fit for their roster when they signed veteran journeyman and former Spur, Roger Mason Jr.

Mason Jr. signed a one year deal for $ 1.4 M, which was a little more than half of what the Knicks offered Brown. At the time of Brown’s decision to resign with LA, we thought it a blessing because that $ 2.7 M to be alotted to Brown occupies the rest of the Knicks remaining cap room, and we thought that the Knicks might be better served by spending that $ 2.7 M on two players, considering the Knicks still thin roster.

Though we aren’t sure if the Knicks will use the rest of their cap space on a veteran center, or at all, we have learned of some interesting trade rumors involving troubled Knicks’ center Eddy Curry. Curry was rumored to Denver in a phantastical trade proposal in which Curry would be the centerpiece in a trade to Denver for Carmelo Anthony, currently the talk of the town.

The Daily News reported earlier this month that the Knicks had also discussed sending Curry to the Rockets for former Knick, Jared Jeffries.

Yahoo!Sports is reporting that the Knicks are talking to the Rockets about a possible deal for Jared Jeffries that would include Eddy Curry heading to Houston. Jeffries enjoyed two solid seasons under Mike D’Antoni and according to sources would even entertain a buy-out in order to return to New York.

We’re not really sure how such a deal would work. Because Curry is $ a 12 M salary slot going into next year’s free agent derby for Carmelo Anthony, he is a hot commodity, if not for his on the court presence or considerable baggage. Jeffries would come back to the Knicks, and could probably replace David Lee in some of the grunt work areas where Lee was so good, but would come back, be bought out of his contract, and then would sign for the league veteran minimum. What other assets could Houston offer for us to move a prime salary chip?

If a move of this nature came off, the Knicks would need to get back expiring contracts, as welll as perhaps a draft pick and maybe a young player. we’d hope that guy would be former Knick first round pick Jordan Hill, who we were loathe to part with in the Tracy McGrady trade last year.

As for Anthony, the Knicks’ best chance to acquire the Nuggets’ star is through free agency, as it would be very foolish for the Nuggets to trade him before the season starts, and if they do trade him, they likely will not trade him to New York because common sense dictates that several teams will put together better trade packages than NY. Isiah Thomas has once again made headlines this week, by telling sources that Anthony told him he intends to be a Knick next year.

Anthony’s best chance to end up in New York will be to announce he is signing with the Knicks when free agency begins next summer for a max 5 yr deal. At that point, Denver will have no choice, if they wish to see some kind of return on Anthony, they will have to send him here in a sign and trade, giving Anthony the 6th year at $ 30 M, following the blueprint established this offseason by Chris Bosh and Lebron James.

As for Mason Jr. fitting in with the Knicks this year, he seems like an ideal role player who should play very hard since he is on a 1 year contract, and will be auditioning for employment and job security. The move seems like the quality edition of a role player for the Knicks. Unfortunately, the Knicks seem unable to make a move for Rudy Fernandez, who we see as an ideal point guard behind Raymond Felton. Fernandez seems poised, for now, to sit out, rather than return to Portland.

Today we learned from both New York Papers that Knicks’ Team President Donnie Walsh nearly tendered his resignation over the hiring of Isiah Thomas (above) by Knicks’ and Rangers’ owner James Dolan (above), who will come in and work as a basketball consultant, and who, apparently, has remained very close with the owner with the deepest pockets and the shortest memory in the league. It was only recently that Dolan was ordered to pay $ 11.5 M in a settlement to Anucha Browne Sanders, who Thomas sexually harrassed. And Thomas got to keep the remaining money on his $ 21.5 M contract when Dolan finally fired him the first time, and deservedly so. Thomas’ moves as GM put the Knicks in this woeful position where they had to totally strip the roster down to zero and build from scatch–a position that cost them points with the free agents that matter, who were all looking for other good players to play along.

A federal jury decided Madison Square Garden and its chairman must pay $11.6 million in damages to former New York Knicks executive Anucha Browne Sanders in her sexual harassment lawsuit.

A verdict earlier Tuesday found that Knicks coach Isiah Thomas subjected Browne Sanders to unwanted advances and a barrage of verbal insults, but that he did not have to pay punitive damages.

The jury did find, however, that Madison Square Garden committed harassment against the woman and decided she was entitled to punitive damages.

Thomas was hired, despite already having a job, as the coach of the Florida International University basketball team, which he is retaining. Somehow. Because this seems like a glaring conflict of interest, the fact that Thomas is coaching against potential future Knicks, or coaching potential future Knicks. Hopefully, the NCAAs and the NBA will figure out the rules that this breaks, and enforce them to the max. Thomas is back less than a week and has already almost caused the resignation of Donnie Walsh, who, say what you want about him, will be running a fairly competitive team this year with a potentially great future ahead.

Walsh, when consulted by Dolan on the possibility of hiring back Thomas, completely disapproved of the move. And Amar’e Stoudemire told a reporter that Walsh was “livid” over it.

Knicks president Donnie Walsh is livid that Isiah Thomas is back in the organization and feels his standing with the franchise could be compromised by owner James Dolan’s decision to rehire Thomas, The Post has learned.

According to a Knicks source, Walsh told Thomas in a face-to-face meeting two weeks ago he did not want him working for the organization. Dolan and Thomas had agreed that Thomas could fill the team’s general manager vacancy if Walsh was OK with it.

When Walsh told Thomas he objected, Thomas went back to Dolan, who still has a love affair with the Hall of Famer and seemingly is on a mission to rehab Thomas’ image.

Without Walsh’s knowledge, Dolan and Thomas hatched a scheme in which Thomas could become a part-time consultant while remaining the coach at Florida International. (The NBA is reviewing whether the arrangement violates NBA rules on scouting procedures.)

Walsh, who had thought the Isiah issue was dead, was not debriefed until after the hiring was agreed upon, and he reluctantly put his name on a joint statement with Dolan. It was only recently that Walsh found out Thomas had been in Dolan’s ear for months, offering free advice.

So Isiah has apparently hit home with Dolan on a few points that have resonated. Definitely on the recruiting angle, though Thomas never would have had the space to acquire even one difference making free agent, the way he extended the Knicks’ salary cap, so that should be moot. Here’s his other big argument: D’antoni sucks. For Thomas, that’s a great angle because Dolan does not like D’antoni. Remember the game the Knicks were up 15 in the 4th with 7 minutes to play against Sacramento at home and lost?

Apparently, Dolan was very unimpressed with the coaching and he let Walsh know about it for a reported 15 minutes. But having Isiah back here to make any type of decision related to basketball, whether it be on a coach–recall he hired Lenny Wilkens over Mike Fratello–or a player or a contract is very questionable. What free agent wants to come to a disharmonious franchise? From that standpoint alone, Thomas hurts the team.

The other thing at play here is that Walsh, love him or hate him, has made some important relationships in the league. When he steps aside, he will be able to usher in a very reputable guy here to run the team. But what reputable guy is going to come in, as is, with Isiah whispering in Dolan’s ear over any mistakes or criticisms?

Dolan is a loyal guy. He is sticking by Glen Sather through this ten plus years of mediocrity on the hockey side. But if he doesn’t like you, you are gone. D’antoni could be that guy who is gone, in those terms. But where does Isiah fit in, in a positive sense? It’s a universally unpopular move, and as such, would probably be frowned upon by potential additions to the team.

I love it how the New York Knicks can have a free agent offer out there to guy from the Lakers, and you don’t hear a word about it in New York. I wasn’t trying every second, but I did try a number of times to check the Knicks’ beat writers blogs, and I do read the papers every day, so I probably should have learned before today what the probable terms of the offer the Knicks made to Brown was, so I will thank The Post’s Marc Berman for finally enlightening us. Once again, very unimpressed by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News’s coverage of the Knicks, as I was all throughout the weeks leading up to and directly preceding free agency.

Berman reported that the Knicks likely offered Brown only a 1 year deal for $ 2.7 M–which is the only money they have remaining under the cap.

The Knicks, according to a source, offered Brown a one-year contract as they moved to protect their 2011 salary cap for a run at Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks offered Brown the full $2.7 million that they are under the cap. The Lakers have offered the fourth-year guard less per season, but multiple years.

“The Knicks did a great job selling Shannon on everything and their vision for him,” Bartelstein said. “They did a great job but the chance to go back and win a third championship for the Lakers is a tough thing to pass up. He’ll make a final decision (Thursday).”

The Knicks were leaning toward making the super-athletic Brown their starting shooting guard, but also saw him as a solid sixth man

Brown averaged 8.1 points in 20 minutes for the Lakers off the bench. The Knicks have been impressed by Wilson Chandler’s summer recovery from ankle and hernia surgery and is the favorite to start at shooting guard, even though he is on the trading block.

The Knicks’ decision to offer Brown just a one-year deal stems from their belief in Anthony passing up a Nuggets’ contract extension. Denver’s front-office shakeup in which popular GM Mark Warkentien was dismissed could make Anthony pause on wanting to remain in Denver.

Warkentien would be a candidate to join the Knicks’ front office, but Donnie Walsh reiterated he is not focusing on adding a GM as of now. Warkentien interviewed last summer for the Knicks’ vacant GM job that still has not been filled.

Now Brown really has no decision to be made here, with the world champions offering him a multi-year contract and the Knicks offering him 1 year. It’s a fantasy that Brown would come, win the starting job, and then hit a home run in free agency next year. While there are whispers that Chandler could go in a trade, and I’d be shocked if he’s not involved in the next big move the Knicks make, his departure is not imminent. It could take the Knicks until the trade deadline or longer to make their next big splash, and until then, Chandler should see a lot of minutes.

Very interesting stuff with regard to the offer being only 1 year because the Knicks are already preening for free agency next year, and they think Carmelo Anthony turned down that $ 65 M extension because he has the Knicks in mind. In the NBA–all sports, probably–players and teams who are prohibited from having contact with each other often do anyway. I would say that Anthony is a pipedream, but the Knicks should be looking very attractive by next year, and the guy is going to free agency despite being on a very good teamm who is offering him $ 21 M plus per year. He’s out of there.

The Knicks already keeping their cap clear for Anthony could be the result of Anthony’s people telling them to. And though Allan Houston has been rumored to be in line for the GM post, the Denver GM is a way better candidate. Should he have any sway with Anthony, all the better.

I’m glad the Knicks lost out on Brown, assuming it will go down as reasoned, and as his agent suggests. The Knicks have $ 2.7 M remaining to spend, and they have a very thin team with a few roster spots open. They need to try and get 2 players for that money instead of one.

The Knicks, who seem to be in the mix to acquire the services of Portland point guard Rudy Fernandez, may also be attempting to improve their off guard position t0night as well, as several sources have reported that New York has made an offer to two time NBA Champion and Lakers backup guard, Shannon Brown.

Reports are surfacing the New York Knicks have made an offer to Lakers free agent shooting guard Shannon Brown.

The terms of the deal are still unknown.

At this point, Brown has two options: Take the offer from the Knicks, or wait and see if the Lakers can trade Sasha Vujacic so that he can resign with the two time defending champions.

Shannon Brown is not an unrestricted free agent. As a restricted free agent, the Lakers have 7 days to match any offer the Knicks made to their bench player, who some think fits well as a shooter in Mike D’antoni’s system. Brown is a 42 % 3 point shooter in his career.

This summer Brown has tried to get a deal done with the Lakers, with his asking price being the NBA’s average salary, which is about $ 3.5 M. Brown made $ 2.388 M last season. Though the terms of the offer are not yet known, one could imagine the Knicks using a portion of their mid level exception on Brown, likely in the neighborhood of 2 years/$ 8 M.

It would be insane for the Knicks to commit more years than that to Brown (but the Knicks have done stranger things), who most likely, would like to see this offer matched and remain a Laker, but who could not pass up on the pay raise.

A Cook County judge ordered an arrest warrant for Curry after learning that the Knicks bust “failed to sign an agreement to pay the balance of a $660,000 legal settlement reached after he was sued for allegedly having sex with an underage girl,” the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The case goes back to 2001 when Curry, then 18, reportedly had a relationship with a 14-year-old girl.

Last month, another arrest warrant was filed and later quashed when Curry and a woman agreed on a payment schedule for the $100,000 the oft-injured center owed her.

“Knicks’ bust” Eddy Curry…gotta love the label. Curry did not show up to the Knicks’ summer league in Las Vegas despite having his best opportunity in light years to win a significant role on a basketball team.

If new Knicks’ power forward and $ 100 M man Amar’e Stoudemire (directly above) thought he’d be playing for Team USA at the World Championships next month and chilling on the Dream Team’s bench at the elbows and in the ears of the best America has to offer, then he couldn’t have been happy when the Knicks told the centerpiece of their rebuilding project this week that they were denying him permission to play.

The Knicks informed their new power forward Monday night, just days after Stoudemire tweeted: “There isn’t anything that would stop me from playing for the U.S.”

Stoudemire was disappointed but accepted the decision, according to team president Donnie Walsh, who wasn’t willing to risk his free-agent prize on a 15-day tournament in Turkey. The U.S. team opened training camp Tuesday in Las Vegas.

“He really wanted to play but understood our position,” said Walsh, who added that Stoudemire needed more rest after playing through the end of May in the Western Conference finals. “He was a man about it.”

Insured players typically don’t need permission to compete for national teams, but Stoudemire’s contract wasn’t covered because of his medical rap sheet. Microscopic surgery on his left knee in 2005 and a detached retina in 2009, among other health issues, have limited the 27-year-old to only three 82-game seasons in his eight-year career. Durability was a major reason the Suns declined to offer Stoudemire a max contract, even after he was named to four consecutive All-Star teams and played every game last season.

Stoudemire, the only top tier free agent the Knicks have managed to acquire this off-season, albeit one near the bottom of the top tier, was one of only 5 players this month to earn a contract at $100 M or more. But Stoudemire’s 2005 microfracture surgery makes his contract uninsurable. The Knicks are still reminded of the last mistake they made on an uninsurable player because that player is on the roster and a constant eyesore–Eddy Curry. Isiah Thomas signed Curry to a $56 M/7 yr deal in 2004 that was uninsurable due to a Curry heart condition. The Knicks had hoped that Curry would attend their summer league in Las Vegas because he has played so little basketball the last two years. Curry did not show up for the voluntary workouts and Curry already thinks Knicks’ coach Mike D’antoni is holding it against him.

Last week, when the Knicks made the mysterious decision to sign Russian 7 footer, Timofey Mozgov, it is believed they informed Mozgov that he would back up newly acquired Center Ronny Turiaf who came to the Knicks as part of the David Lee sign and trade. At least, that’s what Curry’s agent believes took place, as was reported by the New York media.

It seems strange that they would guarantee playing time to a guy unable to start on his European League team and who has never played a minute in the NBA. When D’antoni was asked about it, he responded by saying that he couldn’t promise any time to a player he hasn’t really seen, and that the Knicks would find a place on the floor for a well conditioned Curry.

In terms of the decision to hold Stoudemire out of the Worlds in Turkey next month, it’s simply a smart play on their part from the standpoint of protecting their big new investment. Remember, this is the Knicks we are talking about, who found a way to trade Marcus Camby for Antonio McDyess and then watched McDyess go down for the year in the final minute of the first half of an exhibition game. While they have lost out on their target of 2-3 years in Lebron James, they have probably had the 2nd best off-season of any team, were in the mix for James despite doing everything wrong up until that very week, and despite the very questionable Mozgov signing. I like the decision to hold Stoudemire out of international competition.

If Stoudemire thought he’d be pitching potential free agents like Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony on joining him in New York next month in Las Vegas and Turkey, he will either be doing so as a spectator, or via twitter and text message. Hopefully the decision to hold him out of these games does not impinge on the Knicks’ ability to recruit or acquire top tier players in the future.

As for Amar’e, who took the money the Knicks threw at him, he doesn’t play for country anymore. Now he’s just a New York Knickerbocker.

The Knicks may have lost out on the Lebron James sweepstakes, but one day after announcing the David Lee sign and trade that netted them Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike, and Ronny Turiaf, the Knicks have solved a problem at a long standing trouble spot, agreeing to terms on a three year contract with former Bobcat and North Carolina Tar Heel, Raymond Felton–who was perhaps the best remaining free agent available.

The Knicks reached an agreement in principle Friday with Felton, the free agent who played five seasons with the Charlotte Bobcats, including the last two under former Knicks coach Larry Brown.

The deal could be finalized as early as Saturday. Three days ago, Duhon signed a free agent contract with Orlando.

Felton is 26 years old, is a career starter, and has only missed 11 games in his NBA career. He represents perhaps the best point guard solution the Knicks have come up with since a young Mark Jackson.